Naruto: Sand And Ink
by Tiger5913
Summary: New Installment: Set Gamma ! It takes effort to pierce through the barriers of the quiet ones... ! A collection of 100 word drabbles, based on the 13 drabbles setup of the LJ Community. Main Pairing: Sai x Gaara
1. Set Delta

7/7/10

Disclaimer: the characters in this fic such as Naruto, Gaara, Sai, etc. don't belong to me, although if they did, then Naruto would stop making an ass out of himself for Sasuke's sake and pay proper attention to his REAL friends.

Dedication: God, my parents, my fans, Masashi Kishimoto for creating the Naruto series and giving us these colorful characters, my beloved friends, and especially all of you wonderful readers!

Special dedication to: Blithe, for being a great friend, the best Sai x Gaara supporter ever, and kicking serious ass with her awesome portrayal of Sai.

**Naruto: Sand And Ink**

**13 Drabbles**

**Installment: Set Delta**

**By Tiger5913**

Naruto Drabble #1 - First Time, 100 words, Sai x Gaara

When he had finished speaking to Naruto and turned away to leave, Gaara caught a glimpse of the unfamiliar dark-haired shinobi in their age group and paused for a split second. His immediate response was to wonder why the person was wearing _that_ kind of outfit in an environment surrounded by **snow**.

...Not that it was any of his business.

Sai had come to deliver the news to his teammate, and stepped back when the Kazekage and two other Sand shinobi appeared. Despite their ages, someone of a higher rank surely demanded respect, so he kept quiet until they left.

Naruto Drabble #2 - Difference, 100 words, Sai x Gaara

While in a social setting, Naruto not-so-discreetly prodded the pink-haired kunoichi to ask her why Sai and Gaara weren't interacting very much with each other.

The blond was oblivious to most obvious facts - which Hinata could heartily vouch for - and Sakura considered hitting him for being stupid, but instead decided to just sigh and lay out the details. Sai was forward and outgoing, while Gaara had remained reserved and quiet over the years.

What neither one of them realized was that Sai and Gaara didn't need endless chatter to be comfortable with each other. Silence could be just as meaningful.

Naruto Drabble #3 - Similarity, 100 words, Sai x Gaara

It was easier to conceal the quality of being socially inept when one remained quiet and simply observed. Gaara knew this, and quickly came to realize that Sai seemed to be also lacking that particular attribute. He was surprised to see the Leaf ninja being so openly expressive with it.

With his curiosity piqued, he asked on one occasion, "Is it... wise to expose that area of deficiency to so many individuals?"

"What area of deficiency?"

"...Social inexperience," the redhead clarified in a soft tone.

Sai just used one of his practiced smiles and responded candidly, "Why does it matter?"

Naruto Drabble #4 - Eyes, 100 words, Sai x Gaara

Even after the extraction, the insomniac rings around his eyes had remained, the dark color calling attention to the light shade of his irises and iridescent pupils. That unusual quality, combined with the tattoo on his forehead, happened to be ripe for scrutiny during new encounters.

He didn't know Sai was an artist, and the blatant staring brought back unpleasant memories of past incidents. Thinking he had somehow offended him with his presence alone, Gaara turned his face away to hopefully divert his attention.

To his surprise, the uninhibited ninja stepped around to the front and continued gazing at him.

Naruto Drabble #5 - Health, 100 words, Sai x Gaara

Leaf shinobi were very stubborn, the young Kazekage noted inwardly to himself as Sai gave him a chastising look, one hand firmly propped on his hip.

"Gaara-sama, it's the middle of the night," he admonished his friend, "Wouldn't it be better to sleep now, and not during your meeting?"

A very reasonable suggestion, but nevertheless, Gaara made a gesture at the pile of paperwork sitting on his desk. "I have additional documents to review..."

"Okay. In that case, Ill stay up with you."

"Sai," the redhead returned with a warning edge in his voice.

He went to bed moments later.

Naruto Drabble #6 - Drink, 100 words, Sai x Gaara

Individual characteristics were easy to pinpoint during mealtime.

Half of Naruto's friends ate with great enthusiasm, as if this was their first time seeing food, while the remaining half was much more refined and cordial.

Fortunately, Sai was one of the latter, and he was more than willing to share interesting acquired facts about the others with the Kazekage. They spent most of their meal talking quietly together and exchanging observations.

It was during this same occasion that Gaara learned why Lee should never be allowed to drink alcohol.

The restaurant owners were very thankful for his avid sand control.

Naruto Drabble #7 - Memory, 100 words, Sai x Gaara

They had come a long way since the beginning, the redhead silently mused as he recalled the first time he and Sai - officially - met.

With the diplomatic meetings concluded for the day, Gaara stepped out of the Hokage building, disappointed to learn that the newly reformed Team 7 was away from the village on a mission.

Down by the stream, he came across someone painting, whom stirred faint familiarity.

"I am..." - no, not called, not anymore - "My name is Sai."

Before Gaara could offer his own name in return, the dark-haired shinobi supplied helpfully, "I know who you are, Kazekage-sama."

Naruto Drabble #8 - The Past, 100 words, Sai x Gaara

They might not have gotten along in the past, with the Leaf ANBU being aloof and detached, using fake gestures and expressions to gather needed information from others, and then just fading into the background. Cold and withdrawn as he was, Gaara wouldn't have had the patience to put up with that kind of nonsense, resorting to violence as the first answer rather than the last.

So startlingly similar, and yet, neither one was accepting of kinship. Not back then.

But both of them had moved beyond those stages, becoming better once the shackles from the darkness were finally removed.

Naruto Drabble #9 - The Future, 100 words, Sai x Gaara

After applying the formal stamp to yet another proposal, his gaze skipped over to a small stack filed under the personal section of his paperwork.

No familial ties, without an official assignment to any team; no one of great significance to leave behind. The transition wouldn't be difficult...

He shook his head to clear those thoughts before they could fully form. It was starting to make too much sense, and he was hardly one to give into beguiling illusions or hopeless goals.

On the top of the transfer document, in the young Kazekage's neat and precise handwriting, was Sai's name.

Naruto Drabble #10 - The Present, 100 words, Sai x Gaara

It must have been the lack of movement that drew the bird to his friend. Gaara calmly watched as it settled down on his shoulder, tiny-clawed feet grasping the red strap of his jacket.

A faint smile graced his lips at the sight, which grew slightly when Sai raised a hand to pet its small, furry head with the pad of a single finger. He let the bird stay there, since it wasn't disturbing their picnic, or their reading and studying session.

With a soft chirp, it stared down at the book Sai held in his hands to read along.

Naruto Drabble #11 - Dreams, 100 words, Sai x Gaara

There was a faint tickling sensation running across his abdomen, drawing a shiver from the redhead. Slowly, he lifted his head, light turquoise eyes seeming dazed and unfocused as he searched for the source of the feeling.

His chin dipped down enough so that his line of sight fell upon a thin black snake languidly crawling up his body, only stopping to flick a dry tongue at the tip of his exposed nipple...

With a start, Gaara suddenly awoke and immediately lifted the covers to look over himself. He was fully clothed, and no snakes anywhere.

What a peculiar dream...

Naruto Drabble #12 - Something Missing, 100 words, Sai x Gaara

His village, his people, his siblings, his friends... Shouldn't all of those combined factors be enough? Surely he would be too greedy to ask for... more.

Even so, he couldn't deny that watching Kankuro and Temari interacting with their respective significant others stirred an... odd sense of longing inside of him.

Patriotic love, familial love, platonic love... The pieces fell together.

Perhaps a person needed everything, including the last component - romantic love - in order to be complete.

It was a question that he considered posing to Sai, seeing as he might have come across some pertinent information throughout his research...

Naruto Drabble #13 - Unexpected, 300 words, Sai x Gaara

The first kiss caught him completely off-guard.

Moments later, all his muddled mind could recall was the close proximity, the brief feeling of pressure against his lips, a vague recollection of warm breath fanning over his cheek...

Then it was over, and Sai had pulled back to give him a curious gaze, silently probing his facial features for a response. Looking past his typical stoic expression to decipher how he really felt, underneath the surface.

Before they could discuss it, the loud chatter of Naruto and the rest of the Leaf rookies approached them. Another outing proposed by the boisterous blond, to which the young Kazekage had agreed, after his siblings encouraged him to interact with more people in his age group.

A blessing in disguise, because Gaara didn't know what to feel, or even how to respond, right at that moment. He needed time to think.

The bewildered redhead was left in a distracted state for the rest of the day, which his other peers quickly dismissed as him being his usual quiet self.

Except Sai - he wasn't so easily fooled, especially after all the time he had spent observing his friend. He knew that pensive look: Gaara was deep in thought. It made him wonder if he had made a mistake, even though he clearly remembered the instructions from the book. Kissing was a distinct, unique way of expressing attraction toward another. That was just what he had done.

But did Gaara know that? Maybe he hadn't read the book before, or thought the kiss was unintentional. Sai had seen instances where people used that excuse to pass off certain incidents. If Gaara bore that misconception, then he would have to show him otherwise.

The second kiss wasn't accidental. Not by a long shot.

Nor was it unrequited.

**End of Set Delta**

Bonus: Relationship, 200 words, Sai x Gaara - dedicated to **_Blithe_**

"So, what does this mean...?"

"What do you want it to mean, Gaara-sama?"

"...Something significant, with meaning."

"Then it will be."

He looked down at their joined hands and nodded in agreement, soon asking, "Sai. Friends don't... typically kiss each other, correct?"

Sai considered that question for a moment. "I've seen some people behave that way."

"...I see."

A small, knowing smile to accompany the next words; "But I don't."

Gaara felt relieved to hear that answer, and then he mused aloud, "We must be... more than friends now."

The Leaf ninja tilted his head while echoing, "More than friends?"

"Yes," he paused to search for the proper explanation, "Our situation might be suitable to... that of a romantic relationship."

A romantic relationship: consisting of a bond between - usually - two individuals with romantic attraction to each other, according to what he read.

His expression changed to a steady neutral. "Is that what you want?"

"I haven't personally experienced this kind of relationship, but I am... willing to try."

A new type of bond that he'd yet to explore very carefully. What was it made of? Sai was curious to find out.

His answer came in the form of a kiss.

**End of Installment**

**Authors Note: **Holy crap, it's been a while, hasn't it? O_O And I know that most people's response to Sai x Gaara is, "Bwuh?" and "I don't see it!" Hey, the pairing makes a lot of sense! You just gotta think about it, and know the characters really well. Hopefully, these drabbles will help with the convincing. ^_^ If not, go ahead and hit me up with some Sai x Gaara requests, and I'll see what I can do. Anyhow, the first thirteen prompts were taken from the 13drabbles community on LiveJournal, while I just made up the bonus one. I kept to the 100-words limit with most of them, but went a little overboard with the thirteenth prompt... Oops.

Thank you so much for reading; please leave a review to let me know what you think, or any drabble prompts!

**With love for my fans,**

**Tiger5913**


	2. Set Gamma

10/1/10

Disclaimer: the characters in this fic such as Naruto, Gaara, Sai, etc. dont belong to me, although if they did, then Naruto would stop making an ass out of himself for Sasukes sake and pay proper attention to his REAL friends.

Dedication: God, my parents, my fans, Masashi Kishimoto for creating the Naruto series and giving us these colorful characters, my beloved friends, and especially all of you wonderful readers!

Special dedication to: Blithe, for being a great friend, the best Sai x Gaara supporter ever, and kicking serious ass with her awesome portrayal of Sai.

**Naruto: Sand And Ink**

**13 Drabbles**

**Installment: Set Gamma**

**By Tiger5913**

Naruto Drabble #1 Ocean, 100 words, Sai x Gaara

The shore was surprisingly serene, Gaara mused to himself. He didn't think he could feel this at ease when he was so close to such a large body of water. Especially when he didn't know how to swim.

Ever modest, he donned a full body suit and quietly remained seated on the sandy beach, waiting for his boyfriend to join him. Upon hearing his approach, Gaara turned to greet him, and the words immediately faded.

He was greatly astonished by Sai's brazen choice of swimwear, to the point where he barely noticed being pulled toward the edge of the water.

Naruto Drabble #2 Follow Me, 100 words, Sai x Gaara

"Try to catch me... Gaara-sama."

With a shrill whoosh, the ink bird carried the Leaf shinobi away, brisk breeze slicing through the short strands of his dark hair.

Gaara smirked at the issued challenge while calmly watching the departure. Try? Sai was certainly confident in the speed of his ink bird.

When compared to most others, the concept of playing games was quite a bit different for the socially challenged couple. They could find amusement in activities deemed immature, simply because they didn't harbor that mindset.

His body swiftly dissolved into sand as he gave chase to his elusive boyfriend.

Naruto Drabble #3 Glow, 100 words, Sai x Gaara

There was no denying the vivid warmth in Gaara's furtive smiles, nor the evident glow of happiness emanating from his twin turquoise depths. The light that was taken away with Sai whenever he left.

"Guess he's good for him..." the puppeteer grumbled in resignation. He was worried about his little brother - could anyone really blame him for that?

"You idiot," Temari griped while swatting the back of his head, "I told you Gaara knows what he's doing."

"You mean, _who_ he's doing?" Kankuro retaliated with an impish grin, intentionally aggravating his sister.

"Hey! I don't need the mental images!"

Naruto Drabble #4 Fear, 100 words, Sai x Gaara

Kankuro snuck a glance from the corner of his eye their sister was in the kitchen, out of range from hearing. That was good, because if she heard his next question, she would definitely try to pummel him.

"Hey, little brother," he prompted the redhead sitting next to him, "Does he... make you happy?"

Gaara turned to face his brother, unfazed by the question. He knew that Kankuro needed much more convincing about Sai than Temari. And more time to get used to the idea of their relationship.

A small smile to add emphasis to his reply; "Yes, Kankuro."

Naruto Drabble #5 Quirky, 100 words, Sai x Gaara

"...Your boyfriend is who."

"You're shitting us, right? Hahaha, Gaara, very funny."

Gaara gave his siblings a peculiar look. He hadn't expected them to react this way. There was a brief pause as he deciphered the meaning of the slang phrase, since he took most things too literally. "No. I don't practice humor."

Temari, at least, seemed more receptive to the notion than Kankuro, who immediately started dissing the Leaf ANBU. Hopefully, he was just speaking as a protective older brother.

The redhead crossed his arms over his chest, bearing a stern expression, as he sought to counter each point.

Naruto Drabble #6 Avarice, 100 words, Sai x Gaara

Sai wasn't greedy by nature. At least... not outwardly.

He could hide his frustration behind a plastic smile, deliver ambiguous quips that had people second-guessing his true intentions, and be discreet with his fixated observation.

For his part, Gaara tried not to neglect him, as he included Sai in his leisure periods, but was left longing at each separation.

When the administrative building was empty and after he coaxed the devoted Kazekage away from his desk, he finally had Gaara's attention all to himself. And as always, he made sure the time they spent together was well worth the wait.

Naruto Drabble #7 Tell, 100 words, Sai x Gaara

"EHHHHH? YOU'RE DATING WHO?" Naruto shrieked in shock.

Sakura promptly smacked his face to the ground, yelling back, "Don't scream so loud right next to my ear, idiot!"

Sai casually looked on, used to seeing his former teammates act this way. With a slight head tilt, he asked to clarify, "Are you deaf, Naruto-kun? I said my boyfriend is Gaara-sama. You should know who that is. He is your friend, right?"

The blond was still sputtering, clearly unable to answer, and so Sai turned to the pink-haired kunoichi, hoping she had understood him. Likely, since she was smarter than Naruto.

Naruto Drabble #8 Heartbeat, 100 words, Sai x Gaara

He could feel the way his heart started to race, faster and faster, thudding harder with each wet sweep of his clever tongue. He writhed even more in his lap; lithe fingers tugged on his hair and pulled his head back to grant better access to unblemished skin. Pushing his partner further, testing the limits of his restraint before he would finally give a fervent reaction.

"Enough..."

With that single word, Gaara grabbed his shoulders and swiftly shoved him back down on the bed. He descended rapidly to steal his breath away, as well as control of their heated embrace.

Naruto Drabble #9 Dance, 100 words, Sai x Gaara

Dancing with Sai made the redhead realize just how ungraceful he himself was. The Leaf ninja had an airy way of gliding smoothly across the floor, nimble body turning in the air and footsteps acutely in-tune with the music.

_One, two... One, two..._

Gaara was so focused on getting the steps right that he didn't focus on the movement of his own form. He nearly collided with another dancing couple behind him, barely avoiding it due to his partner's well-timed interference.

Sai chuckled lightly at the sight, his dark coal eyes crinkling with mild cheer, as he drew Gaara closer.

Naruto Drabble #10 Time, 100 words, Sai x Gaara

The hours seemed to speed up when they were together, but slow down when they were apart.

A light sigh eased out of Gaara as he read the same sentence on the sheet for the third time. He leaned forward in his seat and rubbed his temples, giving his eyes a brief reprieve from tedious analysis.

He couldn't be reduced to this state at each instance of departure... How would Sai react if he saw him like this? It was... pathetic to falter so easily, wasn't it?

In spite of that thought, his gaze lifted to the calendar once again.

Naruto Drabble #11 Power, 100 words, Sai x Gaara

Of all people, Sai knew the importance of not being fooled by appearances. He was a renowned spy; tactics of deception were second nature to him. Although Gaara seemed frail and delicate by looks alone, the artist knew there was a great deal of power lying within that small body.

Power that Sai trusted in, especially now, with sandy tendrils binding his arms and legs to the wall. Gaara was less than a yard away, watching him tentatively, seeming unsure of himself.

"Don't hold back," he assured him, eager to witness sides of his boyfriend unseen and unknown by others.

Naruto Drabble #12 Down, 100 words, Sai x Gaara

No matter which village, women could be very difficult and catty, Sai quickly realized.

He continued smiling at the hormonal teenage girls even as they hurled rude remarks at him. He wasn't sure about the reason behind their ruthless behavior, and ventured a guess with an accusation of jealousy.

He hit it right on the mark.

The more patient Sai remained, the more frustrated the girls grew. He really didn't care what they said about him. Insults were meaningless. Besides, their reactions were... amusing.

The chatter suddenly died with the unexpected arrival of their Kazekage.

"Stand down," Gaara ordered icily.

Naruto Drabble #13 Desserts, 100 words, Sai x Gaara

To alleviate the heat in his body, the Leaf ninja avidly sucked on an ice cream pop, lithe limbs unfurled upon the couch. He finished it within minutes and threw the stick away.

Dessert was nice, but he preferred the main course much, much more.

Without any notice of his intentions, Sai deftly ducked underneath the young Kazekage's desk, which induced confusion.

At feeling his robes getting lifted, Gaara paused in his reading and started to lower his gaze.

And when the zipper to his pants started getting pulled down, he promptly dropped the documents that were in his hands.

**End of Set Delta**

Bonus: Addiction, 300 words, Sai x Gaara dedicated to **_Blithe_**

Many observers bore the misconception that Gaara had haptephobia the fear of being touched but that was far from the truth. Simply put, he wasn't used to it. Aside from his deceased maternal uncle, most people didn't go near him throughout his life. Even after reconciliation with his siblings, affectionate gestures such as hugging just weren't commonly shared between them. Gaara didn't have the time or experience to become accustomed to physical contact.

Sai, on the other hand, had no inhibitions regarding physical contact. He didn't see a reason to refrain, having little to no understanding in the concept of personal space. Naruto's reaction to his attempt at offering comfort admittedly confused him, as Sai wasn't aware of his friend's assumptions, wrong as they were.

He regarded Gaara with mild concern, wondering what he had done wrong this time, and whether or not he would respond in a similar manner to Naruto. It wasn't until Gaara quietly explained the reason for his hesitation that Sai started to understand. He had no qualms with easing the redhead into becoming comfortable, especially after Gaara gave him consent: free reign over his body.

Sai had studied enough materials to feel confident about what he was doing, even if he didn't have prior experience to draw on. He paid close attention to each response: every slight shift of his boyfriend's lean form, every soft sigh that slipped free from his lips, and coveted the first time he heard Gaara murmuring his name in a low, breathy tone.

It didn't take long at all for the tentative redhead to begin desiring his touch, his kiss, as he slowly began to shed his own inhibitions.

It was almost easy to become addicted to physical contact, Gaara mused with silent intrigue, after the fact.

**End of Installment**

**Authors Note:** And here is another installment! Tsk, tsk, such an underappreciated pairing... Then again, in such a big fandom like Naruto, I guess it should be expected. Help spread the love, fellow fans!

Thank you so much for reading; please leave a review to let me know what you think, and bring on the drabble prompts!

**With love for my fans,**

**Tiger5913**


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